Photos: GAGE Facebook, Amy Sanderson/Gymnastics Now.

USA Gymnastics has terminated the USAG Member Club status for Great American Gymnastics Express, aka GAGE, effective immediately. The decision comes two months after the gym’s owners, Alvin “Al” Fong and Armine Barutyan, were suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

The termination of GAGE’s member club status was confirmed by USAG to members of the media. In addition, USAG provided the below letter that was sent to parents of the club’s athletes.

The letter states that athletes currently registered to GAGE have time to transfer to another USAG member club. They will remain eligible to compete in USAG-sanctioned events through Monday, March 2. After that, athletes who have not registered with a new USAG member club will remain ineligible until they do so.

This did not come out of nowhere; the letter states: “USAG previously notified GAGE of allegations of non-compliance with USAG Club Membership terms and conditions and the SafeSport Code, specifically in complying with the suspensions imposed by the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Despite receiving notice and opportunity to comply, GAGE has been alleged to have continued to violate the terms of these suspensions. As a result, GAGE’s membership with USAG has been terminated effective immediately.”

GAGE has been widely regarded as one of the top elite gyms in the country for years, producing names like Leanne Wong, Aleah Finnegan, Brenna Dowell, and Lynnzee Brown, to name a few. The gym had multiple elite athletes compete at Winter Cup last weekend.

USAG noted that the club is still visible in its database because athletes may still compete through March 2. After that, GAGE will be removed from the database.

Timeline of suspensions

In the letter sent to GAGE parents, a timeline was provided of the individual suspensions that preceded the gym’s USAG membership being revoked.

  • December 23, 2025: The U.S. Center for SafeSport (“the Center for SafeSport”) imposed suspensions on Al Fong (5 years) and Armine Barutyan (1 year). Karla Grimes is designated as GAGE’s new club owner.
  • February 10, 2026: The Center for SafeSport imposed additional temporary suspensions on both (Fong and Barutyan).
  • February 12, 2026: Grimes suspended by the Center for SafeSport. Tiffany Davenport is designated as GAGE’s new club owner.
  • February 18, 2026: Davenport suspended by the Center for SafeSport.

“These suspensions prohibit these individuals from any involvement with USAG member clubs, USAG events, or activities involving USAG members. Each suspension is published on both the USAG List of Suspended and Restricted Persons found here, and the Center for SafeSport’s Centralized Disciplinary Database found here.”

Full letter sent to GAGE parents regarding USAG Member Club status termination and impact on athlete eligibility

Dated February 25, 2026

NOTICE OF MEMBER CLUB TERMINATION AND IMPACT ON ATHLETE ELIGIBILITY

In re: Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE)

Dear Parent and/or Guardian of Athlete(s) at GAGE,

GAGE’s USAG Member Club status has been terminated effective immediately due to ongoing allegations of non-compliance with Center for SafeSport suspensions and the SafeSport Code, despite being provided notice and opportunity to comply.

To allow athletes currently registered to GAGE time to transfer to another USAG member club, those athletes will remain eligible to compete in USAG-sanctioned events through Monday, March 2, 2026. After March 2, 2026, your athlete will be ineligible to compete in USAG-sanctioned events until they register with a new USAG member club in good standing. We understand this news is concerning for you and your athlete. USA Gymnastics values every athlete’s participation in our sport and does not take membership termination actions lightly. Please read this notice in its entirety to understand the situation and your athlete’s options for continuing to participate in competitive gymnastics.

Background on Suspensions. On December 23, 2025, the U.S. Center for SafeSport (“the Center for SafeSport”) imposed suspensions on Al Fong (5 years) and Armine Barutyan (1 year) and on February 10, 2026, the Center for SafeSport imposed additional temporary suspensions on both. Following their initial suspensions, GAGE designated Karla Grimes as the new club owner; she was suspended by the Center for SafeSport on February 12, 2026. GAGE then designated Tiffany Davenport as club owner; she was suspended by the Center for SafeSport on February 18, 2026. These suspensions prohibit these individuals from any involvement with USAG member clubs, USAG events, or activities involving USAG members. Each suspension is published on both the USAG List of Suspended and Restricted Persons found here, and the Center for SafeSport’s Centralized Disciplinary Database found here.

Member Club Termination. USAG previously notified GAGE of allegations of non-compliance with USAG Club Membership terms and conditions and the SafeSport Code, specifically in complying with the suspensions imposed by the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Despite receiving notice and opportunity to comply, GAGE has been alleged to have continued to violate the terms of these suspensions. As a result, GAGE’s membership with USAG has been terminated effective immediately.

Below are answers to frequently asked questions relating to how this termination impacts your athlete.

1) What do the suspensions mean?

The suspended individuals (Al Fong, Armine Barutyan, Karla Grimes, and Tiffany Davenport) cannot: (a) be involved in any way with USAG member clubs, USAG events, or activities involving USAG members (like athletes or coaches); (b) participate in training, travel, lodging, or treatment (such as physical therapy or sports medicine) related to any USAG activities or events; (c) enter any facility where USAG club activities are happening—even if they claim they’re there for a different reason; (d) train or coach USAG member athletes anywhere—not in-person, not online, not at all; or (e) be spectators at a meet inside a USA Gymnastics member club. These rules apply even though Al Fong and Armine Barutyan own or lease the property where GAGE operates. Their business interest does not change what the suspension requires. If you observe any of these suspended individuals at GAGE or any other USAG facility or event, please report it immediately to USAG Safety & Response at [email protected] or the Center for SafeSport here.

2) How does GAGE’s membership termination affect my athlete’s ability to compete?

A USAG-sanctioned event requires two components for an athlete to be eligible to compete.

·         All athletes must be Members of USAG.

·         All athletes must be registered to a USAG Member Club.

Because GAGE’s membership has been terminated, your athlete is ineligible to compete in any USAG-sanctioned event while registered to GAGE. This includes participation at all USAG competitions, state championships, regional championships, and national championships.

3) What are my athlete’s options?

To regain eligibility to compete in USAG-sanctioned events, your athlete must affiliate with a different USAG Member Club that is in good standing.

If your child was registered for a sanctioned event after March 2, those registrations will be canceled. Once you have selected a new club, you will need to work directly with that club for re-registration of previously scheduled events.

A list of USA Gymnastics member clubs in your area can be found here. If you would like to inquire about affiliating with a specific club, please contact the club directly. For instructions on how to add a club affiliation to your child’s profile, please click here or contact the USA Gymnastics Membership Department at [email protected].

Jurisdiction. Because the suspensions were imposed by the Center for SafeSport, USAG is prohibited from interfering with or participating in any investigation or discussing any details related to their matters. However, USAG is required to enforce compliance with all Center for SafeSport sanctions and to take appropriate action, including membership termination, when violations occur. Questions or additional information about the suspensions should be directed to the Center for SafeSport at (720) 531-0340.

We encourage you to continue to monitor both the USAG List of Suspended and Restricted Persons and the list of Permanently Ineligible and Ineligible Members and Participants found here, as well as the Center for SafeSport’s Centralized Disciplinary Database.

If you have questions about transferring your child’s registration to another member club, please contact the USAG Membership Department at [email protected]. For all other questions related to safety, eligibility, or this termination, please contact USAG Safety & Response at [email protected].